General Krulak: Slavery is Alive and Well in The United States

In a piece for the Huffington Post this week, General Charles C. Krulak, President of Birmingham-Southern College, calls on educators to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking in the United States and around the world.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States. General Krulak asks for Americans to celebrate how far we’ve come as a nation, while taking note that we still have much to do. Although slavery has been illegal for more than a century, human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world after the drug trade.

“As citizens of the 21st century, we consider ourselves to have the moral compass and social awareness that would propel us to action against such a violation of human rights. Yet we are allowing an equally heinous form of slavery to flourish today around the globe and in our own communities,” wrote Krulak. “The truth is that human trafficking is pervasive in the U.S. and is fast approaching drugs as the illicit trade of choice for those who use it for economic gain. It is primarily a crime against women and children. Nationwide, our students are both vulnerable as potential victims and largely unaware of the dangers that exist.”

Human Rights First is working with General Krulak and other members of law enforcement and the intelligence community to combat human trafficking and bring to justice the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.